Audio Affair

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IWJ

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I purchased a Cyrus stand over Three months ago and I am still waiting though they keep telling me that the order is in process with Cyrus!
 

Oldboy

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Greengiento said:
Got an email today from John in customer service asking for the email from Richard saying my order was cleared. Seems they don't update their order systems or nobody speaks to eachother? Uhg...this is gonna drag out, I'm sure.

Did you receive your order in the end then? It's been a month with no update from you.
 

Oldboy

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IWJ said:
I purchased a Cyrus stand over Three months ago and I am still waiting though they keep telling me that the order is in process with Cyrus!

3 months ago? I would seriously shop elsewhere for that as that's simply a ridiculous amount of time to wait for an order, you have been very fair. Give Cyrus a call and see if they can help you source the stand.
 

jc84

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Purchased a Yamaha YBA-11 Bluetooth Wireless Receiver from them on the 27th September 2014. Said on the website it was in stock.

Then received an email from them on the 30th September telling me that "due to high demands on these we have experienced a small delay with orders being shipped. We can however confirm that your order will ship in the next 1-2 days".

Thought, ok, not the end of the world and waited patiently. Its now the 16th October and I'm still waiting.

Sent various emails requesting an update but got no response. Decided to ring them and did so on 15th October. The guy on the phone said it looked like it was saying it was despatched but would have to check with the warehouse and call me back. Did not receive a call back (surprise surprise) but upon checking my emails he had sent an email advising me that "unfortunately there has been a delay with the order, it is due towards the latter part of this month".

Absolutely disgusted with the service being provided by this company. Really feel like cancelling my order but have no doubt it would be a massive hassle and would probably take as long as the delivery time for my order.

Really unfair that a company will take your hard earned money so fast when they don't even have the product they claim to have and then leave you waiting soo long for it. I could easily have purchased this elsewhere and received it in a few days.

If AudioAffair are still monitoring this forum I'd really appreciate some contact about this.

Thanks
 

lisali

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Same thing happend here - placed an order for an in-stock item for next day delivery, but the day after, Audio Affair sent me an email saying the order is delayed by 7-10 days! No response to my emails. Not happy.
 

audioaffair

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The last comments on this thread were posted several weeks ago now and while we hope the issues posted were resolved, we wanted this opportunity to respond to these on this thread. Please accept our apologies again for any order delays relating to stocks. We value excellent customer service above everything else and most importantly, we want to keep a customer for life - not just for a single sale, so we feel we've let you down in the cases posted.

Sales have been extremely busy over the last few months and we were caught out on stock several times during our busiest season ever. Curiously enough, there have been some incredible spikes in popularity of some items that werent as "hotly in demand" as before, even when these items dont appear to have been recently reviewed. This all happened during a busy time for us as well, during which we've worked hard to improve our customer experience with the relaunch of our website and refitting our shoroom (complete with headphones bar and new demo areas for soundbars and desktop speakers). This is no excuse for poor service though and following the stock issues mentioned, we have been working to increase stocks of popular products.

With this in mind, along with the relaunch of our website (which featured several "firsts" in the hifi industry such as the ability to actually checkout and apply for 0% finance), we redesigned our stock system so items show actual stock available on the page. For an example, go to our website and search EPH100 (of which there are more than 5 in stock and this is noted on the page). For any items with less than 5 in stock, the quantity available shows (e.g. "1 in stock" etc). We're still working on perfecting this but feedback on this system from customers so farhas been excellent. If you want to double check stock prior to ordering though, please feel free to call us.

As we said, we value each and every customer and work hard every day to maintain excellent customer service, so if you feel you havent received excellent service, please call us when youre looking for something new in future (or email us by using the "Contact our experts" link on the top of our website) and we'll do what we can to make it upto you. In the meantime, we hope each and every one of you reading this will visit our showroom if youre ever passing the west midlands or visiting Birmingham, because whether youre buying that day or not, its a great chance to listen to some good hifi with a cuppa and to meet those of you who we've only spoken to previously on the phone or by e-mail.
 

grdunn123

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I've been posting on this site since 2007 or so and one of the the first threads I started was regarding Audio Affair as I'd had a really terrible experience trying to buy some speakers from them - it's obviously a long term problem which seems to exist and it's a little worrying to read that the post above describes working hard to maintain excellent customer service!

The thread I started has been archived or deleted but it ran to nearly 100 pages of dissatisfied customers comments back in 2007/8 who'd experienced similar problems. Time to stop talking about excellent customer service and start delivering.
 

iceman16

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Oldboy said:
Greengiento said:
Got an email today from John in customer service asking for the email from Richard saying my order was cleared. Seems they don't update their order systems or nobody speaks to eachother? Uhg...this is gonna drag out, I'm sure.

Did you receive your order in the end then? It's been a month with no update from you.
 

iceman16

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Oldboy said:
Greengiento said:
Got an email today from John in customer service asking for the email from Richard saying my order was cleared. Seems they don't update their order systems or nobody speaks to eachother? Uhg...this is gonna drag out, I'm sure.

Did you receive your order in the end then? It's been a month with no update from you.
 

audioaffair

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grdunn123 said:
I've been posting on this site since 2007 or so and one of the the first threads I started was regarding Audio Affair as I'd had a really terrible experience trying to buy some speakers from them - it's obviously a long term problem which seems to exist and it's a little worrying to read that the post above describes working hard to maintain excellent customer service!

The thread I started has been archived or deleted but it ran to nearly 100 pages of dissatisfied customers comments back in 2007/8 who'd experienced similar problems. Time to stop talking about excellent customer service and start delivering.

Thank you for your comments. Many of the orders we ship arrive within 24/48 hours, otherwise we aim to keep customers updated as frequently as possible. We spent a considerable sum about a year ago updating our customer services system and introduced a better process for customers to be called and updated if their order is delayed. We've done a lot of other things in that time - including the relaunch of our website and refitting of our store, we relaunched our blog (and think we now publish more articles, tips and advice on there than any other UK retailer)

While we'd like every single order to ship on the same day, due to the sheer amount of business we conduct, we sometimes have a run on sales on an item via one channel which then needs to be replenished into stock and it isnt possible to keep every item in stock all of the time (especially in some cases when suppliers have a run on an item and its delayed their end - something we have no control over, although this has improved in most cases over 2014). Having said that, we carry a lot of stock at any one time and we are continuously monitoring stocks to keep more of popular items in stock. We always recommend if you want to *double check* stock and delivery, give us a call and we'll be happy to help.

We grew rapidly since 2007 and worked hard to keep up and improve service and the majority of our customers (which run into tens of thousands) are happy with their order. While we still have a minority of customers have been unhappy with a delay, we care about *every single* customer and we want every single customer to be delighted with their experience with us - thats why we were on here the other night to reply to these posts at 11pm (when most other retailers are closed). There is no reason I can imagine why a retailer wouldnt want all customers to be happy and in our case its simply due to rapid growth that we've worked hard to catch up with. We now also have the best team we've ever had and Richard, John, Simon, Raven, Joe or Zak are on hand to help if you call us. I'm sorry you werent happy with a delay when you ordered with us 8 years ago but we have improved in that time and we'd be delighted to have a chance to win back your business if youd consider shopping with us again. Please also feel free to come and visit us if you're ever passing the West Midlands - its always good to meet online customers and put a face to a name :)
 

dim_span

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sounds like 'drop shipping'?

they don't stock the item,.... you order the item, then once you have paid, they place an order with the supplier, and the supplier ships directly to you

Many sellers on ebay do this .... you never have to spend money on stock,... works well if the supplier ships promptly.
 

audioaffair

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dim_span said:
sounds like 'drop shipping'?

they don't stock the item,.... you order the item, then once you have paid, they place an order with the supplier, and the supplier ships directly to you

Many sellers on ebay do this .... you never have to spend money on stock,... works well if the supplier ships promptly.

Many online retailers do this but we ONLY do this for *some* items. We keep a LOT of stock otherwise and many orders do ship same day. Its impossible to keep *every* single item in stock at any one time but we monitor stock daily to ensure we're ordering more of popular lines and keeping them well stocked. Just off the top of my head, for example, on Yamaha we have probably have 75% of the items in stock inc very popular items like the EPH100, YSP2500, NX50s, etc and similar on other brands. In an ideal world we'd keep every single item in stock always but it isnt always feasible. We do drop ship some heavier and more fragile items like hi-fi stands and AV stands to ensure they only ship once (from the supplier to you rather than from the supplier to us, to you - which isnt a problem on smaller items).
 

wisestguru

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Bought a piece of kit that has turned out to be faulty. Purchased early December. Telesales at Audio Affair tell me they'll take it back off me and send it back to the manufacturer for repair, but only if I send at my expense. I'll be waiting around 3 weeks for this to happen.

I'm very, very sure this is in breach of my contract with them, as they are the seller of the goods and it's their duty (NOT the manufacturer) to rectify any problems I might have, especially after such a short period of time.

Either way, I paid Paypal and will be asking them to step in shortly.
 

AudioMad

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Wish I had seen this thread before I found Audio Affair.

Having received a smashed up MC cartridge, I promptly (within 10-minutes) sent an email & HQ photos to show exactly what had arrived. The order had taken ages for them to send and what they sent was a real shock.

From looking at the outer box, which looked fine, I suspect, but obviously couldn't prove that the cartridge was damaged before it left them.

The presentation box was damaged inside & out and the cantilever was buggered.

All I heard from them for 12-days was that they had to send the cart back to the manufacturer for evaluation? What this has to do with me I have no idea as my contract of sale is only with them.

I have consistently demanded a refund and stated that they are trading outside of the Distance Selling regulations & Sale of Goods Act etc.

From this thread and my own experience, I can clearly see that they have little regard for "customer service" as they keep stating in their B.S. PR spin type replies - who cares how busy they are, how they have refitted their store with sound bar displays? If they are turning over that much stock maybe they should employ sufficient staff and find some integrity? Sounds like pile'em high box shifters to me.

I am sure they think they are masters of the Fob-Off & endless excuses, especially when they have had your money. Speaking to "John" in Customer Service, there is a particular arogance that indirectly tells you that your'e the turkey waiting for Christmas.

After giving them the benefit of doubt, extending my deadlines for resolution & at least two ultimatums, tonight I filed an on-line claim with the County Court. Hopefully a better value transaction at £35

Hopefully a Magistrate or Judge will educate them of the basics of trading laws & our consumer rights.

If forums like this are to serve a purpose, companies like Audio Affair need theirs noses rubbing right in it. They stink.
 

audioaffair

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wisestguru said:
Bought a piece of kit that has turned out to be faulty. Purchased early December. Telesales at Audio Affair tell me they'll take it back off me and send it back to the manufacturer for repair, but only if I send at my expense. I'll be waiting around 3 weeks for this to happen.

I'm very, very sure this is in breach of my contract with them, as they are the seller of the goods and it's their duty (NOT the manufacturer) to rectify any problems I might have, especially after such a short period of time.

Either way, I paid Paypal and will be asking them to step in shortly.

Thanks for your comment and appreciate your frustration when something goes faulty but customer services will always aim to get any such items resolved as soon as possible. Your contract is with us (not with the manufacturer), however, unless something goes faulty within the first 30 days (in which case we pick it up free of charge), you need to get the item back to us for repair at your cost - in the same way as you'd need to drive to a shop to return something if you bought it from a retail park or shopping centre and wanted to return something. In this case, we suggested a return directly to the manufacturer only to save you time (so we dont need to return it to the manufacturer after it comes back to us). If your item hasnt been returned yet, please give us a call on 0844 50 403 50 and we can get this resolved for you :)
 
audioaffair said:
wisestguru said:
Bought a piece of kit that has turned out to be faulty. Purchased early December. Telesales at Audio Affair tell me they'll take it back off me and send it back to the manufacturer for repair, but only if I send at my expense. I'll be waiting around 3 weeks for this to happen.

I'm very, very sure this is in breach of my contract with them, as they are the seller of the goods and it's their duty (NOT the manufacturer) to rectify any problems I might have, especially after such a short period of time.

Either way, I paid Paypal and will be asking them to step in shortly.

Thanks for your comment and appreciate your frustration when something goes faulty but customer services will always aim to get any such items resolved as soon as possible. Your contract is with us (not with the manufacturer), however, unless something goes faulty within the first 30 days (in which case we pick it up free of charge), you need to get the item back to us for repair at your cost - in the same way as you'd need to drive to a shop to return something if you bought it from a retail park or shopping centre and wanted to return something. In this case, we suggested a return directly to the manufacturer only to save you time (so we dont need to return it to the manufacturer after it comes back to us). If your item hasnt been returned yet, please give us a call on 0844 50 403 50 and we can get this resolved for you :)

I'm sorry but your practice is against Sale of Goods Act and therefore illegal. For the first 6 months, you are responsible for all costs including shipping if the item is faulty.

Check this:

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product
 

audioaffair

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Sorry for the late reply. Our current terms and conditions do reflect that we will collect FOC if an item develops a fault within 6 months, please excuse this in our prior post. As indicated, we only suggested return in this case to the manufacturer to save some time, but we usually arrange return to us directly to allow us to test the item to diagnose any faults and determine if the item needs to be returned to the manufacturer. Indeed in many cases with returns under warranty, we are able to identify the fault on site, which allows us to ship a replacement from stock where applicable before sending the faulty item back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. However in cases where a replacement from stock isnt possible, when goods are returned to the manufacturer, we aim to return the repaired or replacement unit we receive from them as promptly as we can. In many cases however we can replace directly for stock - for example, we are only exclusive UK retailer for the Yamaha EPH100 earphones - in cases where these develop a fault within the 2 year warranty, we always ship a replacement from stock to save any delay in waiting for a resolution with the manufacturer.

Exceptional customer service is of the utmost importance to us - we're not to proud to admit that we havent always gotten it right and we've learnt some lessons the hard way (as we grew incredibly quickly online) - but where there has been room for improvement, we've made it, and where suggestions for changes in our offering have been made by our customers and you guys as well, we've listened and we've made changes so we can be an even better hi-fi dealer for you. After all we share exactly the same passion for good hi-fi and music as you guys do.

For those of you that havent yet visited us and may have only read about us online, please do visit us if youre passing the west midlands (going up and down the M40 or M6?) as we'd be delighted to meet all of you (and if youve had a bad experience, give us a chance to make it right by you). Whether youre buying or not, interested in hifi, vinyl, headphones or AV, our doors are open for you to visit, meet our staff and have a good listen in store - just make sure to call ahead if you want a listen to something specific so we can get it ready for you.
 

Phil429

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Managed to buy a £1000 pair of speakers from them. They were not the right colour though. Also the speaker stands that I ordered in January have not turned up. Apparently they have no record of my order. Plus the hifi rack. Only a few peices turned up. Of course, nothing useful to build it. I guess I have been duped by a hifi rouge trader. I really didn't expect that in this area or business
 
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Managed to buy a £1000 pair of speakers from them. They were not the right colour though. Also the speaker stands that I ordered in January have not turned up. Apparently they have no record of my order. Plus the hifi rack. Only a few peices turned up. Of course, nothing useful to build it. I guess I have been duped by a hifi rouge trader. I really didn't expect that in this area or business
Make sure you read this whole thread through to know what to do now. (y) If you get stuck trying to get your money back post again.
 
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